Posts tagged kids

Today my mom is coming over to hang out. We had such a great time last week while she was on vacation from work. She came over 3 days in a row and helped me outside in the yard and even did all my laundry! Amazing right? She totally rocks. I told her that she needs to come over more often and she agreed. Today we are going to do some weeding in the yard and plant a few vegetable plants. My green thumb is growing and I’m exploring all the possibilities. =)

So far for breakfast I’ve just had some Honey Nut Cheerios. Straight out of the box at that! I don’t know what’s gotten in to me but my appetite is insane. I definitely think it’s time to whip out the measuring cups/spoons again. Maybe I’m just getting too comfortable with where I am at. I can’t lose sight of the goal at hand. I still have about 13lbs to lose and I don’t want to start going in the other direction when I am so close.

Ryan has a follow up appointment with the Pediactric Neurologist at 2:30 today. I am not looking forward to the 30 min drive but it must be done. My mom is going to stay with Chase and Bailey while we go. I haven’t noticed him “tick” in a while now which is great. They still have to go over the EEG report with me, even though I know it came back normal.

Cori is working all day again today. She is leaving next Tuesday night with her mom to drive to Michigan. Her mom will be spending a few months there from now on every year and needs Cori to go along for the ride. She’ll fly back on the 9th. I was just going to stay home but changed my mind and now I am taking the kids to my dad’s. With the kids both starting school soon I thought it would be a nice little vacation. They love their grandpa and grandma Jeanne.

I hope everyone has a great day today. I have some chicken left over for last night that I’m thinking about using in a chicken salad for lunch. Sounds yummy. Can’t wait until my mom gets here. (hurry up mama!)

Sorry I stink at this blog thing! It has been a bit crazy here. After my last post my computer crashed. I caught some kinda virus and had to rush to back up my files. I know this is something I should be doing all the time but the truth is, I always forget. It took me 15 disks to copy all of my pictures. (all 6000 of them!) I’m sure there is a ton of pictures that I can delete but I didn’t have time to go through all of them. Now I am just trying to figure out how to get all of my music back from itunes. =o/

We all just got back today from a great little vacation in Hutchinson island. Cori’s mom owns a condo right on the beach. (2 actually, 1 is on the intercoastal) She has owned it since 1999/2000 but Cori hasn’ t been there since before we got together. The beach was great! We really enjoyed ourselves. So much in fact that I gained 3 lbs! Actually, I might have only gained 1 or 2 but I just weighed myself and almost had a heart attack. I’m going to weigh myself again tomorrow morning before I eat anything. I was way off my diet. I did manage to workout Sun and Mon morning though. I went for a 2 mile walk on the beach Sunday morning with Ryan and almost 5 miles yesterday morning. 2.3 on the turf and 2.3 on the surf. It is great to wake up looking at the ocean. I can’t wait until we go back. I told Cori, next time we go we are cooking all of our food. Going out kills your wallet and waist. I tried to watch what I ate but the relaxed atmosphere took over. A few drinks here and there helped out too. Last night we went out for wings and beer. We split 2 dessertsbetween the 4 of us which put me over the edge. I was up all night praying to the porcelain god. I must have puked 4 times. I woke up feeling alright but my stomach is still upset. I told Cori that’s what I get for eating like a pig. =(

After I unloaded the van I made myself a spicy black bean burger and some veggies. It was very yummy and light enough that it didn’t upset my stomach. The kids both had cheeseburgers and corn and Cori is at work so I don’t know what she’s eating for dinner. I have to stay home tomorrow and wait for the a/c repair man to come. We had a major malfunction right before we left. We have to get our ducts repaired and cleaned out. Apparently we have been chilling our attack and other places that we shouldn’t have been cooling. Might explain the high power bills. I plan on cutting the grass and doing some yard work while I’ll be here all day anyway. Maybe I can lose the weight I gained on vacation! That would be nice.

Today has been so busy that I am just now getting a break. Bailey was up at 6:30 (actually I heard her at 6am but she was playing) and managed to get out the door by 7am. I did 4.5 miles which turned out to be so pleasant. I ran a bit but mostly walked. Cori was ready for her turn when I got back just after 8am. The kids were eating breakfast and Bailey was playing in her playpen so I did 15 min of abs and arms. I hurried to vacuum and mop before Cori got back. We had about 30 min to get ready for Harry Potter. The kids were so excited! My mom and aunt Cheryl got her just before 10 to watch Bailey. It was so nice to go out just the 4 of us. I did miss Bailey but the boys needed some alone time. And, we got to take Cori’s FJ Cruiser! Oh yea, no mini van for us today.

The movie was fantastic! Chase fell asleep half way through and woke up right towards the end. Ryan was chatting it up the whole time. Too much excitement to keep in I suppose. Cori and I didn’t get a chance to eat before we left the house so we shared a soft pretzel and I had some of Chase’s popcorn. The movie didn’t seem long at all but it started at 10:40 and didn’t finish until 1:20. Wowzers. As we left the theatre we saw the storm outside. Cori had to run to the car to drive it up closer. We all still got pretty wet.

By the time we got home I was ready to chew off my arm! The kids had some left over pizza and I used up the rest of the lettuce, tomato and onion to have a taco salad. It was really good. I heated up the (turkey) taco meat and added 1 tbl 2% taco cheese, 1 tsp fat free sour cream and 1 tbl salsa. I also tossed in a few baked scoops to make it more taco like. Cori left to go to the high school to work and was going to get something on the way.

I already have dinner on my mind. I’m thinking turkey sausage and cabbage. Don’t ask me why but it sounds good. Hopefully Cori makes it home in time and we can all have dinner together. The next 3 days she’ll be gone a lot so it will be nice to have her here. My mom is still on vacation and said she is going to come hang out some the next few days. =)

Okay so I know I am a big loser but I just couldn’t do it. I kept telling myself over and over again why I was doing the Master Cleanse but it didn’t help. Around 12 pm I had cleaned my whole house trying to keep busy. My friend Jenny came over and helped out with the kids while I worked like a crazy person. I started to get dizzy and feel really sick after my shower. The boys were ready for lunch and that’s about all she wrote! As soon as I started making them lunch I lost it. I called Cori and asked how she was doing. I figured if she was doing alright then I was just going to have to tough it out. She said she was doing alright but was a little hungry. I told her I was ready to quit and after a brief chuckle, she agreed. I don’t know what happened. I was so head strong just this morning and by lunch it was all over. I would do better at fasting if I just did it on a whim I think. Knowing that I couldn’t eat made it that much worse. Plus, I really love food! I have learned to make some healthier choices but to not have food at all is too much for me to handle. I give everyone that completes the Master Cleanse some serious credit. I don’t think I could have ever finished all 10 days. It is crazy to think that some people go 40 days. They must be nuts! haha Oh well, I’ve been doing great on my own with diet and exercise and I’ll just keep it up. Besides, starving myself goes against what I’ve been trying to do. I will just have to let my guts stay backed up.

When I finally broke down and ate I didn’t know what to eat first. I had some chips and salsa, 1/2 turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with yellow mustard and a banana. It was so yummy.

I packed up the kids and went over to Laurie’s house to bring her the last 3 tea bags I had left. (No way I’m ever drinking that again!) We hung out over there for a couple hours until it was time to come home. The weather outside was looking nasty and I wanted to avoid the rain. Just as I was walking out the door,Laurie, who was trying the Master Cleanse too, said she was feeling sick right before she hauled it to the bathroom. I guess this Master Cleanse is a bad idea. =( Sorry Laurie.

Cori stopped at Taco Bell for her and the kids. I had some Activia yogurt, a few pieces of turkey pepperoni, more chips and salsa and a 90 cal bag of chocolate drizzled rice cakes. hahahaha I d0n’t know what I was thinking but it was good. Tomorrow Cori is off and I am going to go for my 4 mile jog. I’ve put my poor body through enough for one day. I’m off to bed now.

See you for breakfast. There is a Green Monster with my name all over it!

We had a great family day yesterday. It’s hard for me to blog when Cori is off. I woke up at 6:30am and after Bailey’s bottle I went for a 4.5 mile jog. It was nice in the sense that it was the first run here in a while but it was so hot and humid. Almost too hot in fact. About 2 miles in I had to take a break to walk and catch my breath. The humid air can make it hard to catch my breath sometimes. I made it back to the house around 8am and Cori took off for her own run. While she was gone I showered and got the kids ready to go to Laurie’s pool. I let Bailey take her nap until it was time to leave. I snacked on some fruit and a South Beach Diet Protein Bar while I ran around the house.

The pool was great as always. Our friend Tammy came over with her boyfriend and their 2 kids. There was 6 kids there all together! Lucky for us 3 are still babies and don’t do that much. Bailey spent a while in the pool and took a nap in her car seat. The boys didn’t stop swimming until it was time for lunch and then jumped right back in until we left at 3:30pm. I packed us all turkey sandwiches for lunch. I also packed fruit, granola bars, chips and beer for Cori and I. =) I ended up having 4 MGD 64s. I don’t know if it was the space between them or that they are just pretty light but I didn’t feel like I had 4 at all. We stopped by the grocery store on the way home to pick up some milk and the ingredients for The Master Cleanse. Cori got some chicken wing, chicken fingers and some mac and cheese for her and the boys. Sort of a last meal I guess. She is really worried about the fasting part of the cleanse. ( I am too a little) I wasn’t really that hungry for dinner. I felt a little bloated from the beer and just picked on some stuff in the kitchen.

Now for The Master Cleanse.

I found an article in a magazine about The Master Cleanse. It is a way to “clean” out and detoxify your body. Weight loss is a side effect of eliminating waste and toxin’s from your body. Losing weight is a plus but not the purpose for us doing this cleanse. I know there are tons of detox fads out there but this has been around for decades. There are hundreds of websites on the Master Cleanse.

What is the master cleanse?
Wikipedia has the following description: “The Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemon Cleanse and the Maple Syrup Diet, is a dieting program created by Stanley Burroughs in 1941 and made popular by Peter Glickmanthrough his book Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days, which promotes Burroughs’ regimen to a modern audience. Burroughs states that it is a detoxification program that aids in the removal of harmful toxins from within the body, as well as a reducing diet for loss of weight, a cure for ulcers and “every kind of disease,” resulting in “the correction of all disorders.”

With that said, last night Cori and I made our first batch of the lemonade. We each gave it a little sample and honestly it’s not that bad. I thought the Cayenne pepper would be too much to handle but it’s alright. Now, the gross part. You are eliminating solid foods from your diet that would normally push out waste but since this liquid diet doesn’t do this on it’s own it is necessary to help it along. *uh hum* There is 2 ways to achieve this. One way is to drink a laxative tea at night before you go to bed, to sort of help loosen things up. The other way is to do a salt water flush. This is where you drink 32oz of water with 2 tsp of non-iodized Kosher salt either in the morning or evening. Both will produce an elimination, the tea just takes longer and can be a bit unpredictable. Gross I know but it’s a small price to pay to clean out our systems that we have polluted.

Things I hope to achieve with The Master Cleanse.

One of the outcomes most seem to achieve while doing this cleanse is that they feel healthier. I have been aiming to get healthier for quite a few months now and although I feel healthy overall I know that I can feel better. Also, many people boast about the improvements in skin tone and complexion. I’ve never really had bad skin but pollution in the air and chemicals in our food can leave my skin feeling uneven and unpredictable. I want to undo the damage I have done to my body over the years and feel clean from the inside out. The weight loss is a plus but like I said, it is not my main goal. I also read that unless you majorly transform your diet, once you start eating regular food again you gain about 50% of it back. I’m ok with that, I’ve been losing weight on my own with diet and exercise anyhow.

Cori was excited to try it with me after I told her about it on Friday. She hasn’t had to change her diet at all so she is worried about missing her Taco Bell and other un-healthy foods. haha The goal is to complete 10 days. Some people have gone 40! I don’t know if I’m that hardcore. ( I might be happy to make it just a few days) I woke up this morning at 1am, after drinking my laxative tea before bed, in extreme abdominal pain. I mean whoa! I broke out in a cold sweat and felt rather nauseous. By 2:30am I was back in bed and exhausted. I don’t think I’ll be doing the tea again. It is much to hard on my system. Hopefully the salt water flush isn’t quite as intense. By 7:30am I was sipping on my first glass of the lemonade. Listen people, it isn’t that bad. It tastes like lemonade with a kick.

I already miss my green monster smoothie and the kids waffles smell like heaven. I have to keep the goal in mind and not let my will power fail me. Hopefully I make it to the other side of this journey feeling stronger, healthier and perhaps a few pounds lighter. =)

And for the not so pleasant part that I will start tomorrow morning, the salt water flush. 32 oz container and sea salt.

I am nervous and excited all at the same time. I’m really looking forward to day 3. That’s when I am supposed to see the biggest difference.

I would normally say “see you for lunch,” but you already know what breakfast, lunch and dinner looks like for the next 10 days! haha I will be back though to update my progress and let you know what’s going on in the life of mom of 3. =)

We had a great day today. The boys and I went to the zoo for a few hours with 3 of their baseball team mates. The other mom and myself had our very own little summer camp. (or so it looked) 5 kids under 6 is quite interesting. =) They were all well behaved little men. After 2 hours of walking around, we took a break for some lunch. I packed turkey sandwiches for the boys and myself and gave the boys some cheddar cheese pringles too. Lunch was only interesting for about 5 min before they set off to the fountains. It was so hot out I don’t blame them. I drank 2 20 oz bottle waters while I was there. I don’t know how I didn’t float out of there. haha

We stopped by Laurie’s house on the way home to drop off the clothes sent from her friend in Gerogia. Laurie’s oldest daughter and husband are visiting family and she was glad to have some company. They boys also enjoyed playing with all her toys while she wasn’t there. We didn’t stay long and were back to the house in time to relieve my mom. My aunt Cheryl is comming in town tonight and my mom was ready to spend time with her sister.

I promised Cori taco’s tonight and I didn’t let her down.

Close up of the toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, and fat free sour cream. (cori picked up 2% cheese on her way home)

Ground turkey with low sodium taco seasoning.

I let the kids and Cori have the taco shells and soft tortilla’s and I went with a taco salad. Romaine lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, ( not a great taste combination with taco salad f.y.i.) a tiny bit of 2% cheese, 1 tsp fat free sour cream, 1/4 cup of taco meat and 1 tsp taco sauce.

It was so yummy (minus the cucumber, it was just weird) but I couldn’t finish all of it. My eyes were definitely bigger than my belly with this one.

Good news!!!!! I am fitting into all my old clothes! I decided to try on some of my shorts, skirts and jeans that I haven’t been able to fit in to since before I got pregnant. Actually I don’t think they even fit me that well back then. To my surprise they fit! What an amazing feeling. I still have a few areas that I need to work on and after seeing my hard work pay off today, I know I can stay on course to getting fit. There is still 2 pairs of shorts that fit but I wouldn’t wear out. haha Anyone know what I’m talking about? I told Cori that I am officially out of back up clothes so when this round gets too big it will be time to go shopping. Whoo hoo!

We’re going to Laurie’s pool tomorrow with the kids. Even Cori! I am so excited. Cori picked up some beer to sip on while relaxing by the pool. She broke into one tonight and said it was delicious. I stuck with water.

Sam Adams is getting all sorts of fruity.

Have a great night. See you for breakfast.

ashley

ps-Laurie, Cori and myself are going to be starting the Master Cleanse on Sunday. I’ll fill you in more about it tomorrow when I purchase the ingredients.

Hope everyone had a good night sleep. I sure did. Cori woke up early so she could fill up the van with gas. =) Gotta love her. I’m taking the boys to the zoo today. My mom is coming over at 9:30am to hang out with Bailey. I was going to workout this morning but I might wait to see how much walking I do at the zoo. The last 2 days I have considered all my yard and house work to be my workout. Why not? I barely sat down either day and was sweating quite a bit while outside. It didn’t help that Bailey wouldn’t sit and hang out for longer than 10 minutes. She is still in vacation mode and wants to be held a lot.

I figure by the time I am done posting I will have 1 hour to get showered, dressed and lunch packed for today. That should be plenty of time. Hopefully. It looks like it’s going to be crazy hot and humid here today. Good thing they have fountains for the kids to play in at the zoo.